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From 


LOUISA  M.  ALCOTT 
From  a  daguerreotype 
Little  Women  Letters  from  the  House  of  Alcott  " 


THE  STORY  OF  THE 
ALCOTTS 

(Condensed    from     Ednah     D.    Cheney's     authoritative 
*  "  Louisa  May  Alcott:  Her  Life,  Letters  and  Journals  ") 

The  restoration  and  preservation  of  the  Orchard 
House  where  "Little  Women"  was  written  is  the  most 
fitting  memorial  to  Louisa  May  Alcott  that  could  be 
devised.  Under  this  roof  the  Alcott  family  made  its 
home  for  twenty-five  years.  From  the  Orchard  House 
Miss  Alcott  went  forth  to  her  duties  as  a  Civil  War 
nurse  in  1862  and  here  she  slowly  convalesced  from  the 
hospital  fever  she  had  contracted.  Here  too  she  began 
her  writings,  which,  with  the  publication  of  "Little 
Women,"  marked  the  turning  point  in  the  family 
fortunes. 

Louisa  was  born  November  29,  1832,  in  Germantown, 
Pennsylvania,  where  her  father,  Amos  Bronson  Alcott, 
a  man  of  unusual  culture  but  an  unpractical  dreamer, 
had  moved  from  his  native  state  of  Connecticut  to  take 
charge  of  a  school.  She  was  the"  second  daughter  of  the 
four  who  lived  to  maturity.  When  Louisa  was  but  two 
years  old  the  family  moved  to  Boston,  where  Mr.  Alcott 
opened  his  famous  school  for  children  in  Masonic  Temple. 

In  1840,  Mr.  Alcott's  school  having  proved  unsuccess- 
ful, the  family  went  out  to  Concord  and  occupied  a 
cottage,  which  is  described  in  "Little  Women"  as  Meg's 
first  home,  although  Anna  never  lived  there  after  her 
marriage.  During  this  period  Louisa  developed  rapidly 

•Copyright,   1889  by  J.   S.   P.  Alcott 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

under  the  direction  of  her  intellectual  father  and  her 
practical  mother.  Here  is  her  first  poem,  "To  a  Robin," 
written  at  the  age  of  eight: 

"Welcome,  welcome,  little  stranger, 
Fear  no  harm,  and  fear  no  danger; 
We  are  glad  to  see  you  here, 
For  you  sing  'Sweet  Spring  is  near.' 

"Now  the  white  snow  melts  away; 
Now  the  flowers  blossom  gay: 
Come  dear  bird  and  build  your  nest, 
For  we  love  our  robin  best." 

In  1843  after  a  trip  to  England,  Mr.  Alcott  joined  a 
company  of  enthusiasts  in  the  establishment  of  an  ideal 
social  colony  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Harvard,  near 
Concord,  which  they  called  Fruitlands.  The  experi- 
ment was  an  utter  failure,  Mr.  Alcott  collapsed,  and  the 
family  returned  to  Concord  where  Mrs.  Alcott  in  1845 
purchased  with  the  small  amount  of  money  left  her  by 
her  father,  and  the  addition  of  five  hundred  dollars 
from  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  the  place  known  as  Hillside 
on  the  road  to  Lexington,  about  one-third  of  a  mile  from 
Mr.  Emerson's  home.  There  it  was  that  Louisa  and  her 
sisters,  Anna,  Beth  and  May,  lived  so  happily  the  life 
she  so  fully  presents  in  "Little  Women."  Yet  with  this 
roof  over  their  head  there  were  six  to  be  provided  for 
and  the  ambitious  Louisa  assisted  to  the  best  of  her 
ability.  Concord,  however,  offered  very  little  opportunity 


Pour 


A.  BRONSON  ALCOTT  AT  THE  AGE  OF  53 

From  the  portrait  by  Mrs.  Hildreth 
From  "Little  Women  Letters  from  the  House  of  Alcott" 


ABIGAIL  MAY,  MRS.  A.  BRONSON  ALCOTT 

From   a   daguerreotype 
From  "  Little  Women  Letters  from  the  House  of  Alcott  " 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 


i'or  such  work  as  either  Mr.  or  Mrs.  Alcott  could  do,  so 
when  the  despairing  mother  found  employment  in  Boston, 
ths  family,  in  1848,  again  moved  to  that  city. 
-  At  the  age  of  fifteen  Louisa  entered  her  romantic 
period,  when  she  fell  to  writing  poetry,  keeping  a  heart 
journal  and  wandering  in  the  moonlight.  During  this 
time  she  had  a  mania  for  the  stage  and  devoted  her 
leisure  time  to  writing  and  enacting  dramas.  Her  older 
sister,  Anna,  assisted  her  in  carrying  out  all  her  plans. 
While  her  mother  conducted  an  intelligence  office,  Louisa 
sold  her  first  story  (written  when  she  was  sixteen)  for 
five  dollars. 

The  seven  years,  from  Louisa's  sixteenth  to  her  twenty- 
third  year,  may  be  called  an  apprenticeship  to  life,  when 
she  tried  various  paths.  At  twenty-two,  her  first  book 
of  short  stories,  "Flower  Fables,"  was  published  and  this 
netted  her  thirty-two  dollars.  A  year  later,  in  June,  1855, 
she  went  to  Walpole,  N.  H.,  for  a  few  months,  and  a 
month  later  the  family  followed.  Back  in  the  city  for 
the  winter,  she  continued  to  write  stories  and  to  sew. 

In  1857  the  family  moved  again  to  Concord,  and  lived 
a  few  months  in  part  of  a  house  they  had  hired  until  the 
Orchard  House,  which  they  had  bought,  was  ready  for 
them.  There,  Louisa's  younger  sister,  Elizabeth,  the 
"Beth"  of  "Little  Women"  died.  It  was  the  first  break 
in  the  household.  In  July  the  Alcotts  took  possession  of 
the  Orchard  House,  which  was  thereafter  the  permanent 
residence  of  the  family. 


Seven 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

Mr.  Alcott  had  his  library  and  was  always  happy  there; 
but  Louisa's  heart  never  clung  to  it.  Her  sister  Anna's 
engagement  was  an  exciting  event  to  Louisa,  who  sub- 
sequently refused  all  offers  of  marriage,  as  she  had  no 
inclination  towards  matrimony.  Her  heart  was  bound 
up  in  her  family  and  her  work.  The  year  1860,  she  called 
a  year  of  Good  Luck,  for  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Alcott 
as  superintendent  of  schools  in  Concord  brought  great 
happiness  to  the  family,  while  Louisa  was  writing  for 
"The  Atlantic  Monthly"  and  receiving  better  pay  for  her 
work.  With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  the  Alcotts 
were  alive  with  patriotic  enthusiasm.  That  year,  1861, 
Louisa  began  to  write  her  first  novel,  "Moods,"  which 
proved — when  published  years  later — the  least  successful 
of  her  books. 

In  1862  after  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  conduct  a 
kindergarten  school,  she  gave  her  services  as  a  nurse 
and  for  about  six  weeks  served  her  country  in  the  small 
Union  Hospital  at  Georgetown.  The  severe  attack  of 
fever  which  drove  her  from  her  post  left  her,  at  thirty, 
with  shattered  nerves  and  weakened  constitution  and 
she  never  again  knew  the  fulness  of  life  and  health  which 
she  had  before.  Her  letters  home,  were  first  published 
in  the  "Commonwealth"  newspaper  and  afterwards  in 
book  form,  for  which  she  received  two  thousand  dollars. 
Her  first  novel,  "Moods,"  came  out  in  December,  1864, 
and  sold  rapidly  at  first,  for  "Hospital  Sketches"  had 
created  an  interest  in  the  author. 


Eight 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

In  1865  she  made  her  eventful  first  trip  to  Europe 
where  among  other  things  she  met  the  young  Polish  lad 
who  was  the  very  original  of  the  charming  Laurie  in 
"Little  Women." 

After  her  return  the  Boston  book  publishing  firm  of 
Roberts  Brothers  asked  her  to  write  a  girls'  book  and 
the  old  idea  of  "The  Pathetic  Family"  recurred  to  her 
mind.  She  set  herself  to  describe  early  home  life.  The 
book  was  finished  during  the  summer  of  1868,  after  the 
first  twelve  chapters  had  been  pronounced  dull.  "Little 
Women"  was  the  title  selected  and  it  was  promptly  ac- 
cepted by  the  publishers,  who  made  Miss  Alcott  an 
outright  offer  for  the  copyright,  but  at  the  same  time 
advised  her  not  to  part  with  it.  She  accepted  a  royalty 
on  all  copies  sold,  and  in  her  journal,  in  1885,  she  wrote 
this  comment: 

"An  honest  publisher  and  a  lucky  author,  for  the  copyright  made 
her  fortune  and  the  'dull  book'  was  the  first  golden  egg  of  the  ugly 
duckling." 

Published  in  October,  the  book  was  an  immediate 
success.  It  faithfully  presented  New  England  family  life 
and  touched  the  heart.  She  rapidly  finished  a  sequel 
(now  published  with  the  first  part  in  a  single  volume) 
which  was  brought  out  the  following  year. 

The  author's  own  statement  in  regard  to  the  originals 
of  the  characters  in  "Little  Women"  is  as  follows: 

"Facts  in  the  stories  that  are  true,  though  often  changed  as  to  time 
and  place: — 

Nine 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 


"  'Little  Women' — The  early  plays  and  experiences;  Beth's  death; 
Jo's  literary  and  Amy's  artistic  experiences;  Meg's  happy  home; 
John  Brooke  and  his  death;  Demi's  character.  Mr.  March  did  not 
go  to  the  war,  but  Jo  did.  Mrs.  March  is  all  true,  only  not  half 
good  enough.  Laurie  is  not  an  American  boy,  though  every  lad  I 
ever  knew  claims  the  character.  He  was  a  Polish  boy,  met  abroad 
in  1865.  Mr.  Lawrence  is  my  grandfather,  Colonel  Joseph  May. 
Aunt  March  is  no  one." 

At  thirty-six  Miss  Alcott  found  herself  famous,  but 
with  rather  poor  health. 

"Paid  up  all  the  debts — thank  the  Lord! — every  penny 
that  money  can  pay, — and  now  I  feel  as  if  I  could  die  in 
peace,"  she  wrote  in  her  journal. 

In  the  autumn  of  '69  the  whole  family  went  to  Boston, 
Louisa  and  her  sister  May  occupying  rooms  at  10  Pinck- 
ney  Street.  The  following  year  she  wrote  "An  Old 
Fashioned  Girl,"  in  which  many  of  the  adventures  of  the 
heroine,  Polly,  were  drawn  from  the  author's  own  expe- 
riences. In  1870  the  success  of  "Hospital  Sketches," 
re-published  by  Roberts  Brothers,  and  the  continued  re- 
ceipts from  "Little  Women"  enabled  her  to  enjoy  a  long- 
cherished  independent  journey  to  Europe  with  her 
younger  sister  She  has  given  an  account — somewhat 
travestied,  but  very  true  to  the  general  facts — in  "Shawl 
Straps." 

While  in  Rome  Miss  Alcott  received  the  sad  news  of 
the  death  of  her  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Pratt.  She  at  once 
turned  to  the  support  of  her  widowed  sister,  Anna,  and 
her  two  nephews,  Frederi  k  and  John,  by  writing  "Little 


Ten 


From 


ANNA    BRONSON    ALCOTT 

From  a   daguerreotype 
Little  Women  Letters  from  the  House  of  Alcott 


ABBA  MAY  ALCOTT 

From  a  photograph 
From  "  Little  Women  Letters  from  the  House  of  Ali'ott  " 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

Men."  On  her  return  home  she  chose  to  rest  and  work 
in  Boston,  while  her  youngest  sister  remained  at  home. 

At  forty  years  of  age,  Louisa  had  accomplished  the 
task  she  set  for  herself  in  youth.  By  unceasing  toil  she 
had  made  herself  and  her  family  independent;  debts 
were  all  paid,  and  enough  was  invested  to  preserve  them 
from  want.  And  yet  wants  seemed  to  increase  with 
their  satisfaction,  and  she  felt  impelled  to  work  enough 
to  give  to  all  the  enjoyments  and  luxuries  which  were 
fitted  to  them,  after  the  necessaries  were  provided  for. 

In  1872  she  completed  "Work"  which  presents  her 
own  personal  experiences  more  than  any  other  book. 
Subsequently  she  became  an  ardent  worker  in  behalf  of 
woman  suffrage  when  the  subject  was  very  unpopular, 
wrote  "Eight  Cousins"  and  its  sequel  "Rose  in  Bloom," 
and  in  1877  during  her  mother's  continued  illness,  com- 
pleted one  of  her  brightest  and  sweetest  stories,  "Under 
the  Lilacs,"  in  which  she  displays  her  love  for  animals. 
In  November  her  mother  died,  and  was  buried  in  Sleepy 
Hollow  Cemetery,  Concord. 

During  the  same  year  she  wrote  a  novel  "A  Modern 
Mephistopheles"  for  Roberts  Brothers'  No  Name  Series, 
which  was  of  course  published  anonymously;  also  "My 
Girls"  in  the  Aunt  Jo's  Scrap  Bag  Series. 

Two  years  later,  in  December,  1879,  her  youngest  sister, 
May,  died  in  Paris,  leaving  an  infant  child  who  exercised 
a  great  influence  over  the  last  ten  years  of  Miss  Alcott's 
life.  May  was  the  artist  of  the  family,  who,  while  resid- 

T hirt ten 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

ing  in  London,  March,  1878,  married  a  young  Swiss 
gentleman,  Ernest  Nieriker.  The  child,  Louisa  May 
Nieriker,  became  a  source  of  great  comfort  to  Miss 
Alcott.  After  her  death,  Mr.  Nieriker  came  to  America 
and  in  June  1889  took  his  daughter  to  his  home  in 
Zurich,  Switzerland;  she  now  lives  in  Vienna,  the  wife 
of  Emil  Rasim. 

After  May's  marriage  and  death,  Louisa  remained  a 
while  in  Concord  trying  to  forget  her  grief  in  care  for 
others.  She  wrote  short  stories,  including  "Jimmy's 
Cruise  on  the  Pinafore"  suggested  by  the  acting  of  the 
popular  opera  of  that  name,  by  a  juvenile  troupe.  Later 
she  wrote  her  popular  story  "Jack  and  Jill,"  now  the 
eighth  and  final  volume  in  the  Little  Women  Series,  the 
scenes  of  which  are  laid  in  Concord  or  "Harmony"  as 
she  calls  it.  At  that  period  also,  the  long-dreamed  School 
of  Philosophy  was  established  beside  the  Orchard  House. 
The  opening  of  the  school  was  a  great  event  to  Mr.  Alcott, 
as  it  was  the  realization  of  the  dream  of  years. 

After  her  sister's  death,  Louisa  endeavored  to  take  on 
new  interests,  but  her  principal  concern  was  the  care  of 
her  little  niece.  She  was  now  a  truly  "marmee"  and 
little  "Lulu"  absorbed  her  time  and  thoughts.  In  the 
autumn  of  1882  Mr.  Alcott  had  a  stroke  of  paralysis 
from  which  he  never  fully  recovered;  and  for  the  rest 
of  his  life  his  daughters  shared  in  the  duty  of  tending 
and  caring  for  him  in  his  enfeebled  state.  It  had  been 
great  reward  of  Louisa's  years  of  hard  work  that  she 

Fourteen 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

could  surround  her  mother  with  every  comfort  that  could 
make  her  happy  in  her  last  declining  years.  Not  less 
had  she  delighted  in  gratifying  every  wish  of  her  father. 

The  Orchard  House,  which  had  been  the  family  home 
for  twenty-five  years,  was  sold,  and  her  sister's,  Mrs. 
Pratt's  house,  the  so-called  Thoreau  House  on  Main 
Street,  was  the  home  of  all.  It  was  Mrs.  Pratt's  younger 
son,  John  Sewall,  whom  Louisa  adopted  before  her  death, 
and  whose  name  was  changed  to  John  Sewall  Pratt 
Alcott. 

In  the  autumn  of  1885,  Miss  Alcott  moved  to  a  fur- 
nished house  at  No.  10  Louisburg  Square,  Boston.  Al- 
though in  failing  health,  she  prepared  the  three  volumes 
of  stories,  "Lulu  Library,"  for  publication  and  completed 
"Jo's  Boys,"  the  sequel  to  "Little  Men."  The  latter  is 
full  of  biographical  interest. 

During  her  last  years  also,  Miss  Alcott  wrote  "A  Gar- 
land for  Girls,"  the  fourth  volume  in  the  Spinning 
Wheel  Series,  one  of  the  most  fanciful  and  pleasing  of 
her  books.  These  stories  were  suggested  by  the  flowers 
sent  to  her  by  her  different  friends. 

Early  in  March  1888,  Mr.  Alcott  failed  rapidly,  and 
Louisa  drove  in  from  Dunreath  Place,  Roxbury,  where  she 
was  under  treatment,  to  the  Louisburg  Square  house  to 
see  him,  conscious  that  it  was  for  the  last  time.  The  next 
morning  she  was  in  a  serious  condition,  and  on  March  6  she 
passed  quietly  on  to  the  rest  which  she  so  much  needed. 
She  did  not  know  that  her  father  had  already  preceded  her 
by  two  days. 

Fifteen 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

Miss  Alcott  had  made  every  arrangement  for  her 
death;  and  by  her  own  wish  the  funeral  service  was  very 
simple,  in  her  father's  rooms  at  Louisburg  Square.  Her 
body  was  carried  to  Concord,  and  placed  in  the  beautiful 
cemetery  of  Sleepy  Hollow  where  her  dearest  ones  were 
already  laid  to  rest. 

THE    ORCHARD    HOUSE 

The  Orchard  House  is  one  of  the  oldest  houses  in 
Concord,  having  been  built  about  1650.  In  1857  it 
became  the  property  of  the  Alcotts,  who  modernized  it. 
After  the  family  moved  to  Anna  Pratt's  house  it  was 
occupied  by  the  late  Dr.  William  T.  Harris  until  he  went 
to  Washington  to  become  Commissioner  of  Education. 
He  subsequently  purchased  it.  He  sold  it  to  Mrs.  Daniel 
Lothrop  (Margaret  Sidney)  who  lived  next  door  in 
Hawthorne's  old  home,  "Wayside"  and  in  1911,  the  Con- 
cord Woman's  Club  decided  to  purchase  and  restore  the 
house  as  a  permanent  Louisa  M.  Alcott  memorial. 

The  Club  had  no  money  for  this  purpose,  but  its 
members  believed  that  friends  of  Miss  Alcott  and  lovers 
of  her  books  would  gladly  contribute  toward  the  saving 
of  the  property  if  they  knew  its  needs.  A  circular  was 
sent  out,  and  gifts  began  to  come  in.  The  first  received, 
outside  of  Concord,  was  five  cents  from  a  little  girl, 
who  saved  it  from  her  weekly  allowance  of  two  cents.  The 
contributions  ranged  from  a  few  pennies  to  five  hundred 

Sixteen 


ILLUSTRATION    BY   ALICE    BARBER    STEPHENS 
From  the  Illustrated  Edition  of  "  Little  Women  " 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    ALCOTTS 

dollars.  Not  only  did  financial  aid  come  in  response, 
but  many  were  the  expressions  of  delight  that  such  a 
plan  was  undertaken.  The  Louisa  M.  Alcott  Memorial 
Association  was  organized  to  assume  the  title,  the  place 
was  renovated,  and  no  debt  remains. 

The  great  number  of  visitors,  is  assurance  of  wide- 
spread interest.  Relatives  and  friends  of  the  Alcotts 
contributed  priceless  gifts — the  piano  the  girls  used; 
mementoes  of  their  childhood,  a  very  beautiful  bust  of 
Miss  Alcott  and  pieces  of  furniture.  The  scheme  of 
color  in  paper  and  paint  is  as  near  like  that  of  the  time 
of  the  Alcotts  as  possible.  Miss  Alcott's  own  room  has 
been  furnished  by  relatives,  who  remembered  it  as  it 
was  when  that  brave,  courageous  woman  occupied  it. 
The  painting  by  May  Alcott  on  the  window  panel  and 
the  one  under  the  mantel,  are  in  perfect  condition  and 
are  exceedingly  interesting  with  the  stones  they  bring 
to  mind.  "May's  room"  ("Amy,"  in  "Little  Women") 
has  the  sketches  on  doors  and  walls  as  she  left  them. 
They  must  have  been  considered  precious,  or  they  would 
not  have  been  kept  in  such  good  condition,  through  all 
the  changes  that  have  come  to  the  house.  They  are  now 
covered  with  glass  to  insure  their  future  preservation. 


Nineteen 


THE  ALCOTT  BOOKS 

Published  by  Little,   Brown  &  Company 
34  Beacon  Street,   Boston,   Mass. 


THE  LITTLE  WOMEN 
SERIES.  Regular  edition. 
Frontispiece.  8  vols.  16mo. 
Cloth.  Uniformly  bound,  in 
box.  $12.00.  Separately,  $1.50 
each. 

1.  Little  Women;  or  Meg,  Jo, 
Beth,    and    Amy.     Frontis- 
piece.    532  pages. 

A  simple  story  of  the  home  life  of 
four  girls.  A  portrayal  of  child_  life, 
natural,  wholesome,  and  inspiring. 
One  of  the  best  and  most  popular  chil- 
dren's books  ever  written. 

2.  Little  Men.     Life  at  Plum- 
field  with  Jo's  Boys.     Fron- 
tispiece.    376  pages. 

Gives  pictures  of  boy  life  at  old 
Plumfield,  and  is  brimful  of  activity, 
merriment,  health  and  happiness. 

3.  Jo's  Boys,  and  How  They 
Turned    Out.     Frontispiece. 
365  pages. 

This  sequel  to  "Little  Men"  takes 
up  the  story  and  carries  Jo's  boys 
through  the  home  struggles  and  ad- 
ventures in  the  outside  world,  until 
they  are  fairly  launched  on  the  sea  of 
manhood. 

4.  An     Old-Fashioned     Girl. 

Frontispiece.     371  pages. 

The  city  life  of  a  winning  and  sen- 
sible little  country  girl. 

5.  Eight    Cousins;    or,    The 
Aunt-Hill.  Frontispiece.  291 
pages. 

The  story  of  a  sunny-tempered 
little  girl,  who  lives  with  her  uncle  and 
her  aunts,  thereby  coming  in  contact 
with  seven  cousins — all  boys. 


6.  Rose    in    Bloom.     Frontis- 
piece.    375  pages. 

This  sequel  to  "Eight  Cousins'1 
carries  on  the  story  of  Rose  and  the 
cousins. 

7.  Under    the    Lilacs.     Fron- 
tispiece.    305  pages. 

Ben  and  his  dog  Sancho  run  away 
from  a  circus  and  find  a  home  with 
Bob  and  Betty  in  the  old  house  under 
the  lilacs. 

8.  Jack  and  Jill:     A  Village 
Story.       Frontispiece.       325 
pages. 

A  vivid  yet  natural  portrayal  of 
home  and  school  life  in  a  New  England 
village. 

THE  LITTLE  WOMEN  SE- 
RIES as  included  in  The  Bea- 
con Hill  Bookshelf,  a  twenty- 
volume  series  of  children's  clas- 
sics beautifully  illustrated  in 
full  color  by  famous  artists. 
8  vols.  8vo.  Uniformly  bound, 
in  box,  $16.00.  Separately, 
$2.00  each. 

1.  Little  Women;  or  Meg,  Jo, 
Beth  and  Amy.  In  The 
Beacon  Hill  Bookshelf.  With 
eight  illustrations  in  color  by 
Jessie  Willcox  Smith.  397 
pages. 

Books  may  come  and  books  may  go 
but  "Little  Women",  with  its  genuine- 
ness of  character  and  incident  and  its 
homely  appeal  to  all  that  is  best  in 
young  womanhood  and  young  man- 
hood, remains  today,  more  than  fifty 
years  since  it  was  first  published,  the 
ideal  book  for  boys  and  girls. 


Twenty 


THE    ALCOTT   BOOKS 


1.  Little  Men;  Life  at  Plum- 
field    with    Jo's    Boys.     In 

The  Beacon  Hill  Bookshelf. 
With  eight  illustrations  in 
color  by  Reginald  Birch.  335 
pages. 

The  sequel  to  "Little  Women", 
about  the  boys  in  Aunt  Jo's  and  Pro- 
fessor Bhaer's  school  at  old  Plumfield, 
brimful  o_f  activity,  merriment,  health 
and  happiness.  One  of  the  best  books 
for  boys,  and  girls  as  well. 


3.  Jo's  Boys.  In  The  Beacon 
Hill  Bookshelf.  With  eight  il- 
lustrations in  color  by  C.  M. 
Burd.  316  pages. 

This  sequel  to  "Little  Men"  com- 
pletes the  story  of  the  March  family, 
carrying  Jo's  boys  through  the  home 
struggles  and  adventures  untij  they  are 
fairly  launched  on  the  sea  of  life. 


4.  An  Old-Fashioned  Girl.  In 

The  Beacon  Hill  Bookshelf. 
With  eight  illustrations  in  color 
by  Elenore  Abbott.  328  pages. 

A_little  country  girl  goes  to  the  city 
to  visit  a  family  of  children  brought  up 
entirely  differently.  There  is  fun  in 
contrasting  the  lives  of  the  two  girls, 
Polly  and  Fanny,  and  the  visitor's 
lovable  disposition  and  common  sense 
soon  win  the  hearts  of  her  readers. 


5.  Eight  Cousins.  In  The  Bea- 
con Hill  Bookshelf.  With  six  il- 
lustrations in  color  by  Hattie 
Longstreet  Price.  278  pages. 

How  Rose,  one  of  the  most  winning 
heroines  in  juvenile  fiction,  and  her 
seven  boy  cousins,  get  into  scrapes, 
mischief  and  all  kinds  of  fun. 


6.  Rose  in    Bloom.    In    The 

Beacon  Hill  Bookshelf.  With 
six  illustrations  in  color  by 
Hattie  Longstreet  Price.  322 
pages. 

This  sequel  to  "Eight  Cousins"  takes 
up  the  fortunes  of  the  cousins  from  the 
return  of  Rose  and  Uncle  Alec  from 
abroad,  and  carries  them  on  until  at 
last  Rose  becomes  a  happy  wife  and 
Phebe  finds  a  happy  home. 

7.  Under  the  Lilacs.    In  The 

Beacon  Hill  Bookshelf.  With 
eight  illustrations  in  color  by 
Marguerite  Davis.  284  pages. 

A  delightful  story  of  the  adventures 
of  Ben  Brown  and  his  performing  dog 
Sancho  who  run  away  from  a  circus 
and  find  a  home  with  Bob  and  Betty 
in  the  old  house  under  the  lilacs. 

8.  Jack  and  Jill.  In  The  Beacon 
Hill  Bookshelf.   With  eight  il- 
lustrations in  color  by  Beatrice 
Stevens.      313    pages. 

How  two  village  children  were  hurt 
while  coasting  and  what  happened 
while  they  were  getting  well.  The  book 
is  a  lively  portrayal  of  home  and  school 
life  in  a  New  England  village. 

AUNT  JO'S    SCRAP-BAG. 

New   One-Volume  Edition. 
With  frontispiece  in  color  and 
25    illustrations   in  black-and- 
white  by  Beatrice  Stevens. 
Crown  8vo.  S2.00 
A  selection  by  Helen  Martin  of  the 
best  stories  in  Miss  Alcott's  six-volume 
collection,  "Aunt  Jo's  Scrap-Bag". 

THE    SPINNING-WHEEL 

SERIES.     Illustrated  edition. 

4vols.    12mo.    Inbox.  $8.00. 

Separately,  $2.00  each. 

Four  volumes  of  short  stories  so  told 

as  to  entertain  young  people.     With  23 

full-page  pictures  and  attractive  cover 

design. 

Twenty -one 


THE    ALCOTT   BOOKS 


1.  Spinning  -  Wheel    Stories. 

With  8  full-page  pictures  by 
Wm.  A.  McCullough.  304 
pages. 

2.  Silver  Pitchers.  With  8  full- 
page   pictures    by   J.    W.    F. 
Kennedy.     365  pages. 

3.  Proverb   Stories.      W^ith  8 
full-page    pictures    by    Ethel 
Pennewill  Brown.     334  pages. 

4.  A   Garland  for  Girls.  With 
8   full-page  pictures  by  C.  E. 
Atwood  and  others.  286  pages. 

The  Louisa  Alcott  Story 
Book.  Compiled  and  edited 
by  Fanny  E.  Coe.  Frontis- 
piece. 16mo.  80  cents. 

Contains  ten  real  stories  from  Miss 
Alcott's  books  and  a  biographical 
sketch.  Supplementary  reader  for  the 
fifth  grade. 


Louisa  May  Alcott:  Her  Life, 
Letters  and  Journals.    New 

edition.  Edited  by  Ednah  D. 
Cheney.  With  twelve  illustra- 
tions. 352  pages.  Crown  8vo. 
$2.50. 

A  new  edition  of  the  authorized  life 
story  of  Louisa  May  Alcott  in  a  more 
attractive  format.  This  biography  is 
an  inspired  picture  of  a  great  story- 
teller's triumph  over  difficulties. 

May  Alcott:  A  Memoir.     By 

Caroline  Ticknor.  With  six 
illustrations.  315  pages.  8vo. 
$3.00. 

The  life  story  of  the  youngest  of  the 
sisters  immortalized  in  "Little  Women," 
a  gay  and  charming  artist  who  lived 
most  of  her  life  abroad.  Miss  Ticknor 
has  made  her  a  very  real  figure,  and 
given  us  as  well  a  memorably  intimate 
picture  of  the  Alcott  family. 

The    Louisa    Alcott    Reader. 

With  11  illustrations.   222  pag- 
es.   16mo.    80  cents. 
A    supplementary    reader    for    the 

fourth  year  of  school,  containing  ten 

selections. 


1  iventy-tivo 


THE  ALCOTTS 

Originals  of  the  Principal  Characters  in  "Little  Women'' 

Amos  Bronson  Alcott   (1799-1888)  "Mr.  March" 
Married,  1830 

Abigail  May  (1800-1877)  "Mrs.  March"— "Mar me e" 

CHILDREN 

Anna   Bronson  Alcott    (1831-1893)    "Meg" 

Married,  1860,  John  Bridge  Pratt  "John  Brooke" 

They  had  two  sons,  Frederick  Alcott  Pratt  (1863-1910)  "Demi" 
and  John  Sewall  Pratt  (1865-1923)  "Daisy."  John  was  adopted  in 
1888  by  Louisa  and  his  name  changed  to  John  Sewall  Pratt  Alcctt. 

Louisa  May  Alcott  (1832-1888)  "Jo" 
Elizabeth  Sewall  Alcott   (1835-1858)   "Beth" 

Abba  May  Alcott  (1840-1879)  "Amy" 
Married,  1878,  Ernest  Nieriker  (1856-     ).    They  had  one  daughter 
Louisa  May  Nieriker  (1879-    )  "Lulu." 


*  QO 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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